Be proud of who you are

As I type this I am sitting in LAX waiting for my connecting flight from Tucson to Oakland. And I thought I would utilize the free Wi-Fi in the airport to write today’s post.

I spent an extra long weekend in Tucson. My 20-year high school reunion took place over the weekend at a beautiful resort called Starr Pass.

I came in a little early to visit family. (Curt joined me on Friday.) Day 1 I saw both sets of parents, my grandpa, my grandma and my brother.

I love my hometown and my home state despite the crazy politics. True Tucsonans aren’t racist and are proud of where they came from.

I hung out with a lot of old friends from various backgrounds. (One of the greatest things about Tucson High Magnet School is the diversity. The opportunities to learn and explore many things from dance, to science, to photography … is absolutely amazing.) A lot of my my friends from high school are Mexican American, like me.

I have always been proud of who I am, what I am and where I came from. (And a lot of that comes from a family with a sense of pride.) I am 75% Mexican with a little Irish and a little Czech (or Bohemian as my grandpa says) sprinkled in. I have grown up being proud of my multiple backgrounds and from being from the Old Pueblo.

Hanging out with fellow Native Arizonans/Tucsonans and especially other Mexican Americans this weekend really gave me a sense of pride. I really thrive in that type of environment.

I don’t think any of my readers fall into me needing to announce this: But an FYI, we are brown and we are proud and yes, one day we will rule the world. So stop trying to make us feel worthless.

There was some talk over the weekend about the Mexican American studies program at my alma mater, Tucson High Magnet School (Go Badgers! [or Go Rodger!]), which was shut down by white politicians, who felt the program was racist. I watched the PBS program on it called Precious Knowledge. I was so proud to be a Badger alumni and proud of the school, teachers and students and at the same time ashamed at how easy it was to have an amazing program shut down.

The two politicians who worked hard and succeeded in shutting down the program are not native Tucsonans. But because of their history I am surprised at their blatant hatred. John Huppenthal, who is the Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, was born in Indiana and moved to Tucson when he was a kid. Tom Horne, Arizona Attorney General, was born in Montreal, Quebec, and became a U.S. citizen at age 9. (This information was found on Wikipedia.)

When you are proud of who you are and where you came from you become a powerful and strong person.

It is our responsibility in this world to encourage others to work hard and be proud. And if they need a little encouragement and help along the way we should give them just that.